The office of Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian is certified by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care as a accredited outpatient surgical center. The surgical suite conforms to the most state of the art advancements in outpatient surgical services. In addition, the surgical suite is equipped with advanced lasers for cosmetic rejuvenation of the face including the fractional CO2 laser which allows for non-surgical facial skin resurfacing. All surgeries are performed in strict adherence to national standards for surgical safety.

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care provides rigourous oversight of surgical facilities in order to maintain the highest levels of safety in outpatient medical and surgical care. Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian is surgical director of the facility and performs surgery with board certified anesthesiologists who are specialists in cosmetic plastic surgery.

Our office adheres to the highest standards of safety in plastic surgery. Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian maintains accreditation for the ambulatory surgical suite with the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and is especially proud of the high level of operating room safety standards maintained. Our office maintains the highest standards of safety in order to assure that your Los Angeles plastic surgery procedures are performed safely and effectively.

1. When will I be able to eat the day of the liposuction procedure? Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian performs liposuction surgery under tumescent anesthesia and local anesthetic, or as a general anesthesia surgical case with an anesthesiologist. The recovery after liposuction varies from person to person, with some patients recovering within minutes of their procedure, whereas others requiring several hours of liposuction and anesthesia recovery before they are active. The best advice for eating after liposuction is to avoid heavy foods and to slowly advance your diet as your body's apetite increases. Most patients will begin to feel hungry hours after their liposuction surgery and you should use your intuition rather than force-feeding yourself.

2. When will my sutures be removed after liposuction surgery? Dr. Karamanoukian will place small sutures at the tiny incision sites on your body. These sutures can remain in place for weeks, but typically, they will be removed within one to two weeks of your liposuction procedure. The sutures should remain in place until that time and do not try to cut them out yourself. If you are outside the Los Angeles area and are travelling to our Santa Monica Plastic Surgery office for plastic surgery, our office will help make arrangements for suture removal with a medical professional back home. Most of the time, Dr. Karamanoukian will speak directly with your physician to refer you to a center that can safely remove the sutures when you return home. Speak to Dr. Karamanoukian before your surgery to help you make arrangements for your care if you are from out of town.

3. What is the difference between absorbable and permanent sutures? Sutures are thin strands of fiber that are used to reapproximate tissue or skin during your operation. There are different types of sutures and calibers of sutures that will be used by Los Angeles plastic surgeon Dr. Karamanoukian. Absorbable sutures are naturally absorbed by your body within months of the procedure, whereas permanent sutures are not absorbed by the body and are either left in place or removed after the operation. Dr. Karamanoukian will examine your wound to determine when your sutures are removed after plastic surgery.